New Lenox Ranked Among Top 10 Towns for Young Families

Bigger isn’t necessarily better, especially if you’re looking to raise a family, according to NerdWallet.

The consumer finance site took a look at Illinois towns with populations over 10,000, ranking the best places to raise a young family, and found that smaller towns dominated the rankings.

New Lenox made the site’s list of top 10 Best Cities for Young Families in Illinois.

According to NerdWallet, the following factors were considered in coming up with the rankings:

• Home affordability. We looked at median home value and selected monthly homeowner costs to prioritize affordable communities.
• Prosperity and growth. Looking at current and past family incomes, we calculated the income of residents, as well as the projected long-term growth of each city.
• Quality of education. We looked at ratings at GreatSchools.org to find the best schools.
• Family friendliness. This year, we added a new component to our methodology — the percentage of families with school-age children and the poverty rate for young children. This measure helps determine if an area is not only affordable for families, but if it is also a healthy one for children.

According to the site, towns with fewer than 25,000 residents tended to rank higher than more populated towns.

The Village of New Lenox was No. 10 on the list, according to NerdWallet.

New Lenox “the population of New Lenox is expected to more than double by 2040, to about 68,000 residents, according to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. Even with the expected growth, New Lenox will likely continue to appeal to active families. The Hickory Creek Barrens Nature Preserve, the centerpiece of the Forest Preserve District of Will County, has access for hiking, biking, cross-country skiing and fishing. As well, the Old Plank Road Trail, a 22-mile paved path, goes right through New Lenox. There are also cultural options, including the New Lenox Triple Play annual concert series.

Other towns in the top 10 include Lake Zurich (No. 1), Western Springs (No. 9) and Oswego, (No. 6).

Click here to view the full list and details on the study.